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Construction of the Leo Politi Garden is under way at the Henry Madden Library at California State University, Fresno, honoring the friendship between Politi, Fresno’s best-known children’s illustrator and author, and his friend, the late Professor Arne Nixon.

Fresno native Politi lived most of his adult life in Los Angeles, returning many times to speak, draw and paint at workshops put on by Nixon, for whom the library’s Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature is named. Politi died in 1996, one year before Nixon.

The first phase of the Politi Garden is funded by the Arne Nixon Center Advocates, whose more than 500 members in 26 states have raised money via small donations and the annual Secret Garden Party in Fresno.

Leaders of the Henry Madden Library, the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and the Arne Nixon Center Advocates’ board of directors gather for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Leo Politi Garden under construction next to the library. Photo by Amanda Fine

 

The garden is designed by Fresno landscape architect Robert Boro to represent Politi’s artistic style and to present plantings typical of Southern California home gardens such as Politi’s. “Because the garden is in a sheltered niche between the library’s north and south wings, it can include delicate plants that need extra protection in Fresno winters,” said Angelica Carpenter, curator of the Arne Nixon Center.

The initial construction phase will include walkways, a curving bench and a fountain like the one in Leo Politi’s 1950 Caldecott-winning picture book “Song of the Swallows,” said Carpenter. Statuary and other features will be added when funds become available to complete Boro’s design.

Weather permitting, the Politi Garden will open before the national Oz conference May 14-16 at Fresno State.

The Arne Nixon Center has prepared on online exhibition of Politi inscriptions, which he drew and painted in books that are now in the center’s collection:http://ecollections.lib.csufresno.edu/arne_nixon/collections/politi.php.

“Leo Politi was ahead of his time,” said Carpenter. “His focus on children from many cultures set a standard that changed the nature of children’s literature.

“We are proud to have this garden as an outward and visible sign of the treasures to be found in the Arne Nixon Center,” she added. “The garden will stand as a tribute to our advocates group and to all the people who knew and loved Leo Politi and Arne Nixon, or who have been inspired by their work.”

Ground was broken Monday, March 8, in a brief ceremony with Dean of Library Services Peter McDonald, Boro, Carpenter and Arne Nixon Center Advocates president Denise Sciandra and several board members.

For more information about the Arne Nixon Center, visit: www.arnenixoncenter.org.